Integrity Measurement Research Articles

XFilter: An Extension of the Integrity Measurement Architecture Based on Fine-Grained Policies

The Integrity Measurement Architecture subsystem on the Linux platform is a critical security component in the kernel to ensure the integrity of the running system. However, the default Integrity Measurement Architecture policy mechanisms based on options such as file owner and FSMAGIC cannot achieve a file-level configuration. Although Integrity Measurement Architecture supports the Linux Security Module policy rules to be close to the goal of fine-grained configuration, it is not easy to be managed because the Linux Security Module was not originally designed for integrity measurement. Moreover, the Linux Security Module-based policy does not apply in some use cases considering the type of Mandatory Access Control tools chosen by users. This paper presents a new policy configuration option, named XFilter, that achieves a fine-grained policy configuration method. The XFilter includes two policy matching mechanisms, XLabel and XList, which share the same policy token created for XFilter exclusively. XLabel marks the files for measurement using a label in the file’s extended attribute (xattr). By contrast, XList stores the measurement information in a list of file paths. To simplify the deployment, an automatic configuration process is implemented for integrating into the package management system. The evaluation results suggest that both mechanisms satisfy the requirements of file-level IMA policy control and create a performance burden for system operation in the acceptable range. They also reveal a positive correlation between the increment of the system latency and the growth of the length of file paths list for the XList mechanism.

Academic integrity during examinations, age and gender as predictors of academic performance among high school students

The study sought to determine if students academic integrity during examinations, age and gender predict their academic performance and examine its implications for adopting preventive actions against cheating in examinations. It was based on the Modified Theory of Planned Behaviour. Analysis of data collected with the aid of Academic Integrity Measurement Instrument (AIMI) led to significant findings that Academic Integrity during examinations and Age significantly predict Academic Performance. There was significant predictive relationship between Age and Academic Integrity during examinations as well as between Age and Academic Performance. Also, there was a statistically significant difference between male and female students in the Academic Integrity during examinations as well as in their Academic Performances. Whereas mean Academic Integrity score of female students were slightly higher than that of the males; the mean Academic Performance of male students was higher than that of the female students. These findings have implications for test development, administration and students’ academic integrity policies and practices. Test developers and administrators should consider inclusion of a segment in the question papers that assess students’ academic integrity especially in developing countries like Nigeria. The essence of such inclusion is to determine the relationship between students academic integrity quotient and their academic performance. In other words, the authors strongly recommend to the examination bodies and stakeholders to consider the possibility of determining the proportion of a student’s academic performance attributable to academic dishonesty or honesty.

Parameter uncertainty and noise effects on the global dynamics of an electrically actuated microarch

This work aims to study the effect of uncertainties and noise on the nonlinear global dynamics of a micro-electro-mechanical arch obtained from an imperfect microbeam under an axial load and electric excitation. An adaptative phase-space discretization strategy based on an operator approach is proposed. The Ulam method, a classical discretization of flows in phase-space, is extended here to nondeterministic cases. A unified description is formulated based on the Perron–Frobenius, Koopman, and Foias linear operators. Also, a procedure to obtain global structures in the mean sense of systems with parametric uncertainties is presented. The stochastic basins of attraction and attractors’ distributions replace the usual basin and attractor concepts. For parameter uncertainty cases, the phase-space is augmented with the corresponding probability space. The microarch is assumed to be shallow and modeled using a nonlinear Bernoulli–Euler beam theory and is discretized by the Galerkin method using as interpolating function the linear vibration modes. Then, from the discretized multi degree of freedom model model, an accurate single degree of freedom reduced order model, based on theory of nonlinear normal modes, is derived. Several competing attractors are observed, leading to different (acceptable or unacceptable) behaviors. Extensive numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effect of noise and uncertainties on the coexisting basins of attraction, attractors’ distributions, and basins boundaries. The appearance and disappearance of attractors and stochastic bifurcation are observed, and the time-dependency of stochastic responses is demonstrated, with long-transients influencing global behavior. To consider uncertainties and noise in design, a dynamic integrity measure is proposed via curves of constant probability, which give quantitative information about the changes in structural safety. For each attractor, the basin robustness as a function of a stochastic parameter is investigated. The weighted basin area can quantify the integrity of nondeterministic cases, being also the most natural generalization of the global integrity measure. While referring to particular micro-electro-mechanical system, the relevance of the dynamical integrity analysis for stochastic systems to quantify tolerances and safety margins is underlined here.

The generation mechanism and identification of spatially non-continuous error in integral multi-station measurement systems

The integral multi-station measurement system represented by indoor GPS, workshop Measuring and Positioning System or a multi-camera system, realizes high-precision 3D measurement in large-scale space by constructing a global measurement field within a unified temporal-spatial reference. In advanced equipment manufacturing sites such as robot machining, large component (the fuselage or wing of airplanes) assembly and monitoring, the integral multi-station measurement system overcomes the drawbacks of the single-station measurement system such as laser tracker that can hardly balance the measurement range and accuracy. However, with the improvement of automation and intelligence degree in equipment manufacturing, the requirements on accuracy and robustness has become more and more strict, which is a huge challenge to existing measuring technologies. Limited by the measurement principle of multi-observation intersection, the change of geometry constraint in the integral multi-station measurement field will lead to spatially non-continuous error, degrading the performance of the integral multi-station measurement system. In this paper we first analyze the mechanisms and characteristics of spatially non-continuous error at the geometry constraint level. Basing on the error propagation model, a criterion for evaluating the significance of non-continuous error is then proposed for error identification. Finally, simulations and experiments are carried out, and this proposed criterion is verified to be effective.

Does Forward Head Posture Influence Somatosensory Evoked Potentials and Somatosensory Processing in Asymptomatic Young Adults?

The current investigation used somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to assess differences in sensorimotor integration and somatosensory processing variables between asymptomatic individuals with and without forward head posture (FHP). We assessed different neural regions of the somatosensory pathway, including the amplitudes of the peripheral N9, spinal N13, brainstem P14, peak-to-peak amplitudes of parietal N20 and P27, and frontal N30 potentials. Central conduction time (N13-N20) was measured as the difference in peak latencies of N13 and N20. We measured these variables in 60 participants with FHP defined as a craniovertebral angle (CVA) < 50° and 60 control participants matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) with normal FHP defined as CVA > 55°. Differences in variable measures were examined using the parametric t-test. Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between the CVA and sensorimotor integration and SEP measurements. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to compare the SEP measures between groups, with adjustment for educational level, marital status, BMI, and working hours per week. There were statistically significant differences between the FHP group and control group for all sensorimotor integration and SEP processing variables, including the amplitudes of spinal N13 (p < 0.005), brainstem P14 (p < 0.005), peak-to-peak amplitudes of parietal N20 and P27 (p < 0.005), frontal N30 potentials (p < 0.005), and the conduction time N13-N20 (p = 0.004). The CVA significantly correlated with all measured neurophysiological variables indicating that as FHP increased, sensorimotor integration and SEP processing became less efficient. FHP group correlations were: N9 (r = -0.44, p < 0.001); N13 (r = -0.67, p < 0.001); P14 (r = -0.58, p < 0.001); N20 (r = -0.49, p = 0.001); P27 (r = -0.58, p < 0.001); N30 potentials (r = -0.64, p < 0.001); and N13-N20 (r = -0.61, p < 0.001). GLM identified that increased working hours adversely affected the SEP measures (p < 0.005), while each 1° increase in the CVA was associated with improved SEP amplitudes and more efficient central conduction time (N13-N20; p < 0.005). Less efficient sensorimotor integration and SEP processing may be related to previous scientific reports of altered sensorimotor control and athletic skill measures in populations with FHP. Future investigations should seek to replicate our findings in different spine disorders and symptomatic populations in an effort to understand how improving forward head posture might benefit functional outcomes of patient care.

ZRÓWNOWAŻONE ROLNICTWO W REZERWATACH BIOSFERY

The implementation of the principle of sustainable development, initiated at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, is an ongoing process that will ultimately lead to balancing all aspects of human activity. The production in rural areas is invariably linked to the use of limited agricultural natural resources. The new understanding of the principles of sustainability consists in the abandonment of the idea separating conservation from the exploitation of ecosystems, and the implementation of the policy of conservation and sustainable use with the participation of local communities involved in preparatory, constructive and decision-making processes. The holistic goal of sustainable development underlies all biosphere reserves established after 1995. A hallmark of the new approach is special protection provided for agrobiodiversity, being traditionally the largest resources in the UNESCO biosphere reserves, and taking integrated conservation measures in relation to cultural landscapes. The UNESCO biosphere reserves combine biodiversity and cultural values with social and economic development, establishing a kind of standard of balance.

Using a topic model to map and analyze a large curriculum.

A qualitative and quantitative understanding of curriculum content is critical for knowing whether it's meeting its learning objectives. Curricula for medical education present challenges due to amount of content, the diversity of topics and the large number of contributing faculty. To create a manageable representation of the content in the pre-clerkship curriculum at Yale School of Medicine, a topic model was generated from all educational documents given to students during the pre-clerkship period. The model was used to quantitatively map content to school-wide competencies. The model measured how much of the curriculum addressed each topic and identified a new content area of interest, gender identity, whose coverage could be tracked over four years. The model also allowed quantitative measurement of integration of content within and between courses in the curriculum. The methods described here should be applicable to curricula in which texts can be extracted from materials.

Structural Design Optimization of Movable-column Horizontal Machining Center Based on Integral Stiffness Analysis and Sensor Measurement

Structural Design Optimization of Movable-column Horizontal Machining Center Based on Integral Stiffness Analysis and Sensor Measurement

Abstract 2176: A cell mass-based platform for characterizing immune cell function and response to checkpoint blockade in primary blood and malignant fluid samples

Abstract Existing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies that rely on characterization of tumor genomics or immunohistological assessment of the tumor microenvironment have demonstrated mixed success, with no single biomarker proving to be universally predictive of ICB treatment outcome. To complement these existing approaches, we present a workflow that relies on high-resolution single-cell mass measurements curated with CNN-based image classification to characterize T cell activation and functional response to treatment with ICB therapies. As a highly integrative measure of cellular phenotype, cell mass can be used as a label-free biomarker for characterizing immune cell function. For instance, upon activation with anti-CD3/CD28, T cells isolated from human PBMC showed a rapid and significant increase in cell mass. However, in T cells that had been repeatedly stimulated in vitro to generate a PD-1+ exhausted-like phenotype, this mass response to activation was blunted. We hypothesized that this variability in activation-induced mass response was the result of an altered balance of stimulatory and inhibitory “signal two” cues seen by the T cells. Consistent with this hypothesis, purified T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 alone (no co-stimulation) demonstrated a significantly smaller increase in cell mass when compared with those stimulated with both anti-CD3 and anti-CD28. Furthermore, the T cell response measured when unpurified PBMC were activated with anti-CD3 demonstrated an intermediate mass increase, suggesting contributions of both stimulatory and inhibitory signaling from other cells in the milieu. To explore how ICB treatment disrupts this co-stimulatory/inhibitory signaling balance, we measured T cell mass responses for samples treated with anti-CD3 alone or in combination with pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab, or dostarlimab. These samples included PBMC isolated from blood and tumor/immune cell milieus isolated from malignant fluids (pleural effusions or abdominal ascites) collected from patients with advanced cancer. We found that T cells isolated from samples treated with both anti-CD3 and an ICB drug often showed a significantly greater mass increase than the same samples treated with anti-CD3 alone. This mass response showed significant heterogeneity across patients, with many samples showing no significant treatment effect. Despite all four of these therapies targeting ostensibly the same PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis, we also found significant response heterogeneity to these different treatments within individual samples.These results suggest that mass response measurements capture biological heterogeneity associated with ICB response and may serve as a valuable complementary readout to existing biomarkers. Citation Format: Robert Kimmerling, Mark Stevens, Selim Olcum, Anthony Minnah, Madeleine Vacha, Rachel LaBella, Katie Katsis, Audrey Guo, Juanita Fujii, Zayna Shaheen, Srividya Sundaresan, Anobel Tamrazi, Cliff Reid. A cell mass-based platform for characterizing immune cell function and response to checkpoint blockade in primary blood and malignant fluid samples [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2176.

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) System Application in Light Water Reactors In-Core (A Short Memorandum)

A Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is not a new technology in industry. This concept has been known for its monitoring and sending of signals for the detection of cable tampering in unattended radiation detection systems. The instrument concept under investigation would allow for unmanned cable integrity measurements, remote surveillance reporting, and the locating of cable faults and/or tampering. by a national laboratory such as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). TDRs are a very simple instrumentation design configuration, using pulse signals to send the pulse through the cable. Their firmness depends on the width of the pulse sent by them. That is why narrow pulse signals are preferred. However, because narrow width pulses have high frequencies, they have a limitation. High-frequency signals get distorted inside large cables. However, in this short memorandum, not only do we introduce this instrument as reminder to the readers, what this device is, we also show its application as a water level monitoring instrument by Instrumentation and Control (I&amp;C) as an In-Core tool within the family of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) during their safe operation domain and during their commercialization as Generation-IV (GEN-IV) of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a consideration among the designers and engineers of these reactors within the nuclear industry. These devices could be developed and used extensively for measuring the water level In-Core of family of LWRs as a probe for measuring such levels in reactor vessel confinement and collecting surface runoff. It could be designed, developed, and calibrated, then field-tested accordingly. This device could be used as an additional safety factor in the computation of setpoints from Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), specifically if we are using such a device in new Advanced Concept Reactor (ARC) technology of SMRs of GEN-IV.

A human Caco-2-based co-culture model of the inflamed intestinal mucosa for particle toxicity studies

The intestinal barrier is a complex interface of the human body, possessing the largest contact surface to nutrients and antigens and containing a major part of the immune system. It has to deal with continuous exposure to a broad mixture of essential, harmful, or useless substances and particles. In the context of plastic pollution and the ubiquitous occurrence of micro- and nanoplastics, oral exposure to such particles is of particular interest. Standard intestinal in vitro models, however, are unable to mimic the role of the immune system in the particle-exposed intestine. To allow for a closer look on the effect of particles on the intestinal immune system, we here developed a co-culture model to enable investigation of the epithelial brush border monolayer in a healthy and inflamed state. The model is based on well-established Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells cultured in a Transwell™ system. Intraepithelial immune cells were mimicked by THP-1-derived M0-macrophages and MUTZ-3-derived dendritic cells. To fulfill the requirements needed for the investigation of particles, the co-culture system was developed without an additional matrix layer. Cell–cell contacts were established between interstitial and immune cells, and the Caco-2 standard cell culture medium was used, which is well-characterized for its role in defining the identity of particle dispersions. The model was characterized using confocal microscopy, membrane integrity measurements, and cytokine release assays from inflamed and healthy cells. Finally, the new co-culture model was used for investigation on polylactic acid, melamine formaldehyde resin, and polymethylmethacrylate plastic micro- and nanoparticles.

A modified model of Lundberg-Palmgren rolling contact fatigue formula considering the effects of surface treatments

The Lundberg-Palmgren (L-P) fatigue life formula, as a statistical fatigue theory, has been widely used in the industry. However, its direct applicability is limited to the components treated by surface strengthening technologies. Rolling contact fatigue tests and surface integrity measurements of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 9310 rollers with several surface treatments were performed to address this issue. Based on these results, a modified L-P fatigue model was proposed, enabling the consideration of surface modification including surface roughness, residual stress, and hardening introduced by different surface treatments. Compared with the original L-P fatigue formula, its results are more accurate for surface strengthened specimens. Furthermore, this method can assess the contact fatigue life of gears treated by surface strengthening techniques.

Field Test Research on the Downhole Multiphysics Micro-Measurer Based on the MEMS Microchip

Since pressure while drilling (PWD) has the disadvantages of single-point measurement and high cost of application, a micro-measurer based on MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) sensor technology, which can measure downhole temperature, pressure, magnetic field, and dynamic signal, has been developed to achieve real-time, efficient, and accurate measurement of multiple parameters in the well. The kernel circuit system is the core of measurement and control, and the shell plays the role in protecting the kernel circuit. The shell of the micro-measurer is made of preferably selected materials with high-temperature and high-pressure resistance, corrosion resistance, small size, and low density, which can adapt to working in drilling fluid for a long time. The micro-measurer uses integrated interfaces on the shell to enable communication between the host computer and measuring machine. Based on the field test, both the functional integrity and data measurement accuracy of the micro-measurer are verified. Through analysis of the measured data, the profile of the downhole temperature field is constructed. The physical phenomena reflected by the measured magnetic field signal and dynamic signal are consistent with the actual working conditions observed in the test. Hence, as a new microchip measuring device, the micro-measurer can better serve the drilling engineering field and provide technical support for real-time measurement of downhole parameters in the future.

Non-integral depth measurement of high-aspect-ratio multi-layer microstructures using numerical-aperture shaped beams

This work presents a new optical metrology technique for accurate depth measurement of individual high-aspect-ratio (HAR) multi-layer microstructures with high spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To resolve the limitations of existing optical metrology techniques, light shaping with high light efficiency is optimized using numerical-aperture controlled laser beams. Experimental tests evidenced a 28-fold improvement in SNR for measuring large-depth structures when compared with measurements obtained using traditional broadband incoherent illumination. More importantly, instead of integral measurement characteristics currently limited by conventional spectral reflectometry or scatterometry, non-integral depth measurement of an individual microstructure from densely spaced microstructures such as through-silicon vias (TSV) and redistribution layers (RDL) can be realized using the developed optical measuring system with desired numerical aperture and field of view achieved simultaneously. As demonstrated by the measurement of a single submicron structure with linewidth as small as 0.6 µm and an aspect ratio of 5, the precision of depth measurement can be kept within a few nanometers.

PRESENTATION OF A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION PROTOCOL (BIOMAGNETIC OR BIOENERGETIC SCREENING) AND SEMIOLOGY FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE MEDICINAL BIOMAGNETISM TECHNIQUE

Medicinal Biomagnetism (BM) has os its founder Dr. Isaac Goiz Durán, and as a proposal, to be an integrative and complementary therapeutic measure in health, in a comprehensive and universal way. However, as it is generally disseminated through free courses, it is subject to interpretation and application bias in the identification of tracking points and Biomagnetic Pairs (PBMs). Clinical Protocols and Therapeutic Guidelines establish criteria for health management in any clinical specialty. The objective of this study is to present a proposal for the standardization of a physical examination (screening) and semiology protocol for BM, in a structured and systematized way, aiming to provide a standard language for Biomagnetists and an adequate guideline for investigations and scientific evidence. A narrative review was used to support this proposal. The protocol proposed in this study originates from the works developed by its founder, and is presented in a segmented way, in four columns, for better visualization. The columns show the divisions with the classification of PBMs, the tracking points and their anatomical location, the impaction or resonance points and their anatomical location, and finally, a column with the symptomatology and symptomatological specification of the PBMs. What is observed in this review is the organized arrangement of the screening points and other important information for an adequate application and investigation of the technique. Thus, the present study is relevant in presenting a proposal for a structured and systematized protocol, for a better understanding of professionals who work in the application of the technique, patients and the scientific community. This opens up perspectives that this protocol can serve as a research base and the BM reaches the desired robust scientific evidence, and that it is recognized and included as an integrative and complementary practice in structured public and private health services.

Coronary Artery Plaque Composition and Severity Relate to the Inflammasome in People With Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Inflammasome activation is increased in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), but its relationship with coronary plaque is poorly understood in this setting. In a large human immunodeficiency virus cardiovascular prevention cohort, relationships between caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18 and coronary plaque indices were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. Higher IL-18 and IL-1β were associated with Leaman score, an integrative measure of plaque burden and composition. As Leaman score >5 is associated with cardiovascular events in the general population, future work is needed to determine how the inflammasome relates to events and whether strategies to reduce its activation affect events or plaque progression among PWH.

Measuring Adolescents’ Well-Being in Schools: The Adaptation and Translation of the EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being—A Validation Study

This paper addresses a validation study focusing on the process of adapting the EPOCH measure of adolescent well-being (Kern et al. in Psychol Assess 28(5):586–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000201, 2016) to the school context and translating it into German—resulting in the EPOCH-School model (EPOCH-S) with the corresponding measure EPOCH-G-S (EPOCH-German-School). As schools represent an important context for promoting well-being, while at the same time, favorable effects of school-related well-being for adolescent development can be expected, research on school-related well-being is of utmost interest. To provide schools with the information they actually need to promote their students’ well-being, integrative measurements of school-related well-being are important. The EPOCH-G-S is a multidimensional approach to measuring students’ well-being in schools with five factors: Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness, and Happiness. Construct validity and convergent validity of the EPOCH-G-S measure were validated in this study with an Austrian student sample (grade 5 to 12) of N = 1651 students (52.03% males, 47.43% females, 0.55% others, mean age 13.13 years/ SD = 1.89). Validation results are in favor of the EPOCH-G-S as an instrument to assess students’ well-being in school. A second-order model was applied with well-being as a second-order factor and the five specific EPOCH first-order factors. This allows for detecting strengths and weaknesses in students’ well-being profiles and derive needs for intervention. Additional measurement invariance analyses regarding gender and age were conducted.

The structural anchoring of integration measures in Swiss football clubs

Sports clubs are considered as offering integration for people with a migration background (PMB), for example, by building social contacts or a sense of belonging. Conversely, PMB are also important to sports clubs, as demographic changes means their inclusion as new members is increasingly seen as necessary. Nevertheless, PMB are clearly underrepresented in many sports, while high PMB participation in sports such as football can be a segregated participation form. Causes for this are often located at the level of the individual, where, for example, cultural differences are highlighted. However, studies have also analysed how clubs can succeed in initiating opening processes and implementing integrative programmes (e.g. Borggrefe &amp; Cachay, 2021). It is notable that primarily individual, committed club actors deal with integration in clubs, and that there can also be scepticism and resistance from other members. Integration is rarely anchored in structures of the clubs (e.g. specific goals towards integration). This paper considers the ways integration measures in Swiss football clubs are embedded in club structures. For this purpose, we draw on case studies using expert interviews in 12 Swiss football clubs that implement integrative measures and can therefore be expected to have a certain structural anchoring.&#x0D; Initial analyses indicate that in many clubs such efforts are not structurally anchored. This is particularly relevant to clubs that became active in response to the wave of refugees from 2015 onwards. The commitment of these clubs is often based on the sense of social responsibility of committed club officials who create opportunities for refugees who want to play football with the club. In some clubs, these individuals become informal contact persons for PMB. They coordinate integration and counter scepticism in the club. However, this additional task is not anchored structurally, and disappears when the wave of refugees recedes. Other clubs fulfil relevant criteria to participate in a Swiss Football Association programme to receive free training material. In one club, program participation helps naming and communicating the integrative commitment within the club. In a small number of clubs, a stronger structural anchoring is evident. For example, when faced with significant challenges in everyday sports, such as excessive conflicts or demands on coaches, a newly employed social worker or an especially created integration committee can be found. In one club, a cultural anchoring can be observed with various club actors demonstrating diverse integration efforts. Another club is implementing a cantonal label for financial reasons, and to this purpose, regularly addresses integration issues at board meetings.&#x0D; This paper analyses the structural anchoring of inclusive efforts in football clubs. Existing research shows that this is often dealt with by individual actors and is not structurally anchored. Anchoring is mainly seen when challenges of inclusion require such response. Good practice studies from sports that are less popular with PMB can show the extent to which structural adaptations can be traced back to planned opening processes.&#x0D; References&#x0D; Borggrefe, C., &amp; Cachay, K. (2021). Interkulturelle Öffnung von Sportvereinen – Theoretische Überlegungen und empirische Ergebnisse [Intercultural opening of sports clubs - Theoretical considerations and empirical results]. Sport und Gesellschaft, 18(2), 157–186. https://doi.org/10.1515/sug-2021-0013

Understanding and Applications of Tensors in Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of the Manas River Basin

Ecosystem services (ESs) are a multiple whole composed of multiple services and their multiple relations, which can be expressed as tensors (multiple functions of multiple vectors). This study attempts to introduce the concept and method of tensors into ES research to solve problems caused by the multiplicity of ESs, such as multiple descriptions and perceptions of ESs, repeated calculation of ES values, and cascading relationships with the social economy. Taking the Manas River Basin composite ecosystem as an example, we constructed five different types of ES tensors based on different understandings and applications: (1) As multiple vectors, three eigenvectors were extracted from the ES state tensor (ESST), including farmland service (FS), vegetation service (VS) and water service (WS). According to the ES response tensor (ESRT), an increase in FS may lead to a decline in overall services. (2) As multiple functions, the ES value (ESV) of the basin was measured by the ESV metric tensor (ESVMT), with a gross value of 14.8 billion USD and a net value of 10.17 billion USD. From different stakeholders perceptions constructed by the ecosystem services to human well-beings (ES-HW) tensor, the human well-being values (HWV) were ranked as citizens &gt; farmers ≈ herdsmen &gt; public. (3) The HWV output efficiency of different LULC per unit of water use was calculated by a fourth-order mixed tensor constructed by water–LULC–ES–HW multiple cascading relations. Among them, the HWV efficiency of water areas and wetlands was the highest, but the area was the smallest. Cultivated land and unused land had the lowest HWV efficiency and largest area. In general, the ES tensor is the extension and integration of the ES scalars/indicators to the ES vectors/bundles, which can provide tools for the integral expression, objective measurement and multiple perceptions of ESs.

Environmental Drivers of Functional Structure and Diversity of Vascular Macrophyte Assemblages in Altered Waterbodies in Serbia

There is a gap in the knowledge about how environmental factors affect functional diversity and trait structures of macrophyte communities in altered waterbodies. We used macrophyte and environmental data collected from 46 waterbodies; we extracted data on 14 traits with 43 attributes for 59 species and calculated seven functional diversity indices. We used redundancy analysis (RDA) to investigate the response of functional diversity indices to the environmental variables. To relate traits to environment we performed the analysis on three data matrices: site by environmental variables (R), site by species (L), and species by traits (Q)—the RLQ analysis, and the 4th corner analyses. The RDA showed that the environmental variables explained 47.43% of the variability in the functional diversity indices. Elevation, hemeroby (integrative measure of the impact of all human intervention) of the land cover classes on the banks, and water conductivity were correlated with all diversity indices. We found that the traits characteristic of floating and emergent plants represents a strategy to increase efficiency in light interception under high nutrient concentrations in lowland waterbodies, while submerged plants dominate nutrient-poorer waterbodies at higher altitudes. Future investigations should be focused on the role of functional diversity and the structure of macrophyte communities in the indication of tradeoffs and/or facilitation between ecosystem services that altered waterbodies provide, in order to guide their adequate management.